Going Through The Motions
by Daisyphile
Summary: Now that the Reach Invasion is over, things have settled down and Bart gets a chance to be a real teenager. It's not all it's cracked up to be though, as he struggles with friends, high school, sexuality, and keeping his secret ID a secret.
1. The Same Arrangement

"So crash," Bart Allen said when Barry told him that he was going to attend Central City High next week.

Life was pretty sweet at the moment. Only a month ago, the team had been able to take down the Reach and get Jaime off mode. And it was because of him, Bart, that the future was now safe. Additionally, crime rates had plummeted now that the Light and other supervillain organizations had been dismantled.

Which is why Bart got to go to a real school for the first time ever. He still got to hang out with the team at the headquarters, and he hung out with Jaime, Tim, and Wally all the time, but now he actually had a chance to be a real teenager!

He had been spending this month watching all of the movies and TV shows that he hadn't had a chance to see in the future. He got to read books slowly, for pleasure, and he found that he actually loved reading. And he listened to music, and went shopping, and tasted all sorts of yummy foods. He just got to chillang with his grandparents while he didn't have any responsibilities to save the world. Totally. Crash.

When Barry dropped him off at school on Monday, Bart couldn't contain his excitement.

"Call me or Iris if you need anything. Anything at all," Barry rolled his window down and told Bart.

"Of course, Gramps! I'll _zeezee_ you after classes," Bart hugged his Grandpa through the window. Some kids laughed and called out to him for being so affectionate, but Bart didn't care at all.

"And Bart," Barry added running his hand through his blonde hair. "Don't use your powers at school unless it's an absolute emergency. Okay?"

"You got it, pops!" Bart flashed his famous speedster grin and jogged over to the entrance. Barry smiled and drove away.

Once inside, Bart's eyes widened like that of a kid in a candy store. Lockers, hallways, fliers, potential friends, teachers, classes, and backpacks all filled his head. "So crash," Bart muttered before forcing himself to fast-walk all around the lobby to check everything new and unusual out.

"A whole new woo-oorld," he sang out loud. He had just watched Disney for the first time the other week, and he thought the whole franchise was really schway. He twirled around, startling the secretaries. "A dazz-ling place I ne-ver kneeew…," he sang and danced up to a group of 3 boys that looked to be his age with Central City letterman jackets.

"Hi, I'm Bart. Bart Allen. Technically short for Bartholomew. But you can call me whatever. It would be crash if we could be friends! What's your name?" Bart interrupted his solo and held his hand out to the group.

"Piss off, shithead," the tall blonde said. His friends snickered and they walked off. Bart jogged (at normal speed) ahead of them and faced them again. He laughed.

"Haha, I get it. Really, I do, I'm the new twip in school. But let's try to get off on the right hand, 'kay? I'll see you guys later!" Bart called as they pushed past him and kept walking. The speedster pouted for a moment, but then he slapped his grin back onto his face. A cluster of seemingly nice girls and a couple guys were coming his way.

"Hey, guys! I'm new, my names Bart. Nice to meet you…," Bart trailed off as the group eyed him but didn't acknowledge him and kept moving. _Come on, Allen. Think of a new approach!_ He thought. He went down the west hallway and walked up to one girl who was shoving things into her backpack from her locker. She looked frustrated as she had to sit on the floor because her locker was on the bottom. Each time she looked down, her thick framed glasses slid down her nose and wisps of hair that had escaped her ponytail fell into her face. She blew them away and shut her locker, standing up and slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Hi, I'm Bart," he held his hand out to her. She looked startled and stared wide-eyed at him.

"Emily," she said timidly as she took his hand and shook it.

"Emily. I love that name! It's really shiny," Bart said.

"Huh?"

"Say, Emily. I'm brand new here. You seem nice, would you help me find some of my classes and get a feel of the school?" He asked. She blushed and pushed her glasses up past the bridge of her nose.

"Um, s-sure," she replied. "Which classes do you have?" Bart yanked a crumpled paper out of his new backpack.

"It says I have Mr. James's English class first," he told her.

"Oh, I have that class, too. Let me take you there. We don't want to be late." She started heading down another corridor.

"Oh, that's crash! This is going to be great!" Bart exclaimed as he threw his arm around Emily. She tensed under his touch and blushed.

"Um, uh," she sputtered.

"Something moded?" Bart asked.

"H-huh?" she said. Before Bart could say anything else, they arrived in the classroom. Emily evaded his arm and went to sit down. A quick scan of the class told Bart that one of the guys with the lettermen from this morning was in his class.

Bart followed Emily's lead and took the seat right next to her in the front row. After all, he had heard that good students sit in the front. Before he could chat with Emily more, the bell rang and a few, last, stragglers meandered in and took seats.

A man with a tweed, brown-plaid blazer and brown slacks rushed hurriedly in the room. His tie was crooked, he held a brown briefcase in his hands, and his matching colored hair was sticking up. He looked like a very young person with older fashion taste.

"Sorry I'm almost late, class. But I did say 'almost.' Hello, to those of you who don't know me, I'm Mr. James. _James_ James. I know, laugh if you please. Call me James squared if you must. Let's dive right in," he said. Mr. James James then proceeded to discuss the semester syllabus for English, boring most of the class, barring Bart of course.

"And in November we will be reading Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_ -," he said when Bart interrupted.

"We'll be _reading_ it?" Bart asked. Mr. James squinted at him.

"I don't believe I know you," he said to Bart.

"I'm Bart. Bart Allen. I'm new here," he gave the teacher a smile.

"Ah, well, _Bart_ , in my class, if you have a question, please raise your hand. And yes, we will be reading _Romeo and Juliet_ ," he answered.

"But it's a play," Bart countered.

"Bart, please try to raise your hand." The class giggled at the young teen and he flushed ever so slightly. Then his hand shot up into the air.

"Yes, Bart," the teacher said, sighing and sitting down at his desk.

"But, James," he started.

" _Mr._ James," James corrected.

" _Romeo and Juliet_ is a play. Don't people usually watch or perform plays?" Bart asked.

"Yes, they do. This is why at the end of the unit, we will all watch the movie with Leonardo Di Caprio." Bart raised his hand again. "You don't have to raise your hand before everything you say," Mr. James pointed out.

"But you said-," Bart started. This class was very much confusing him.

"Just say what you were going to ask, Bart"

"Well, it's just that, if we're going to watch the movie, why do we have to read it as well?" Bart asked. The class snickered.

"Because Bart, it's the only way to truly absorb the text."

"But it's a play."

"Yes."

"So it was meant to be watched. If it were a book, we would read it. But we don't read movies. So I just don't understand why we're _reading_ a play," Bart said.

"Well you don't have to _like_ it, Bart. You just have to do it."

"Um, that's not what I said," Bart argued.

"Let's move on, shall we?" Mr. James said to the class. Bart raised his hand. The teacher rolled his eyes. "What, Bart?"

"You said you want us to absorb the text, right? Weren't plays written so that one could absorb the text through a different means than reading it?" Bart said.

"Alright, Bart. I can already tell that this is going to be a long school year for you and me. I need you to stop joking around or I'm going to have to send you to the principal's office," Mr. James told him.

"But-!"

"Not but's."

"I'm just trying to-"

"Alright. That's enough. Moving on, after _Romeo and Juliet_ , we'll have a grammar unit." Bart's hand immediately shot up in the air. Mr. James ground his teeth and reluctantly called on him. "Yes, Bart?"

"Why are we learning grammar _after_ doing all this reading?" Bart asked earnestly.

"I'm sorry?" Mr. James didn't fully understand the question.

"It just doesn't make sense. Shouldn't we learn grammar before we do any reading? In fact, shouldn't we have learned grammar a long time ago? What are we all doing reading if we haven't learned how to do it properly?!" Bart exclaimed. The class erupted with laughter.

"Perhaps you should have a chat with Mr. Hawkins about how things are run in this school, Bart," Mr. James said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Who's Mr. Hawkins?" Bart stopped and asked.

"The principal," Mr. James replied.

"Oh, grife." The entire class laughed hysterically as Bart took his stuff and exited the room.

* * *

 **So this is just a little story that I wrote for myself about Bart and his teenage years and struggling with sexuality. I decided I'd post it for others to read and see if anyone likes it. I've already written most of it so updates should be fairly frequent.**

 **All of the future slang Bart uses is from future slang used by Firefly, other comics, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and movies. You can look them up on TV tropes. They're really fun.**

 **Also, I'd like to dedicate this story to the LGBTQ community and anyone who's ever been bullied or has had to hide who they are. It's not fair, and I hope to spread awareness through writing. Reviews are like candy for me and they only take 10 seconds to write, so I really appreciate them! Thanks!**


	2. Fight The Fight

"Um, Mr. James, I can, uh, show him the way," Emily said quietly. She was _not_ laughing.

"Alright. Go," Mr. James ordered. And so she went.

"What were you thinking?!" She asked once they were both in the hallway. "I know you're new, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but I really don't want to help you if you're going to be a trouble-maker," she said to him.

"I'm sorry! I just, I came from a, uh, very _different_ school last year, and well, I just didn't understand what he was saying," Bart defended. Emily stopped walking and paused, looking at her shoes. From the way he had acted, Emily assumed that Bart must have some sort of learning disorder like ADHD.

"I know. That scene really wasn't your fault. You were confused, I understand. But once a teacher tells you to 'move on,' you really should listen to them," she said.

"He wasn't being very fair," Bart justified.

"Teachers are never fair," Emily replied quietly. They walked in silence the rest of the way to Mr. Hawkins office. When they arrived outside the door, Emily gave him a big smile.

"I really am sorry, Bart. I hope that this encounter is quick and painless and I know it will all be forgotten soon. Good luck," she said. He wrapped her in a big hug that she didn't return.

"Aw, thanks, Emily! You're really schway!" When Bart finally pulled away, Emily looked really flushed and marched right back towards English class. She gave him one more small smile and a nod before she left.

Bart took a deep breath as he turned the doorknob and poked his head in.

After waiting about half an hour with the school secretary, Bart was taken into a smaller room where he actually met Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Hawkins had actually been really nice and understanding. He told Bart that Mr. James was a bitter douche bag and that he would have been fired a long time ago had he not had tenure. He gave Bart a lollipop and sent him on his way to his next class.

 _Well,_ Bart thought. _It could have been much more moded._ From what he had heard, high school principals were all made out to be evil. But Mr. Hawkins was actually a pretty crash person.

The rest of his classes went by relatively smoothly, and the teen speedster found that they weren't nearly as exciting as he had first thought them to be. Either way, he still enjoyed school pretty well.

At lunchtime, he found Emily sitting at a table alone, absorbed in a book.

"Hi Em!" Bart said as he sat right next to her, startling her from her book.

"Oh, it's you. H-hi. How'd things go with the principal?" She asked in that soft voice of hers. It would turn out to be an interesting relationship between the two, because Emily was shy and quiet, whereas Bart was boisterous and rather loud.

"It was all schway. Mr. Hawkins is actually really spled," Bart said.

"I, um, don't know what that means," Emily said.

"Spled? It means good, crash. So does schway. It's just like 'shiny,'" Bart explained.

"Oh, okay," Emily replied, only partially understanding him. Bart ate about 7 servings of cafeteria slop, making Emily look like she wanted to run. But she didn't, because as eccentric as this boy was, he was the only one at school who had ever taken even the slightest interest in her, and she wasn't going to throw that away because of a few quirks.

The lunch lady ended up loving Bart, as he was the only one who ate her food and came back for more. He was a good, growing boy in her eyes, and she was really happy to have someone to feed.

And so this is how school went for Bart. There was some friction between him and Mr. James, along with a few other teachers, but others liked his quirks. He ended up seeing Mr. Hawkins on a regular basis, but not once did the principal seem even the slightest bit upset. If anything, Mr. Hawkins would just give Bart candy and let him chillang in his office. At lunch time, Pearl, the lunch lady went out of her way to prepare enough food for Bart. She even made extra, special meals just for him, because he was her favorite student.

He and Emily forged a friendship, and they found that they actually liked many of the same books and hobbies, and once Emily came out of her shell a bit, she and Bart really hit it off. The only constant truly downside of school, was the meat that liked to torment him each day.

At first it was just those three meatbags, but soon more and more douches joined in in the teasing and name calling. Bart was really good at ignoring it and laughing it off, but it was starting to get more colorful and creative, and that was just not crash, not crash at all.

He didn't mention that to anyone who asked him about school though, for some reason, he was kind of embarrassed. It didn't make a lot of sense, but somehow admitting that these twips were actually getting to him made Bart feel weak, and he didn't want his friends or family to see him that way.

One night, Wally, Artemis, Dick, Bruce, Tim, Roy, Jade, Lian and the Garrick's all came over for dinner at the Allen's. It had been Iris's idea, and Bart was excited. The whole house was buzzing with energy. Iris, Joan, and Artemis were all working on preparing the food in the kitchen. Barry, Bruce, and Jade, were all having a conversation, and they seemed to actually be getting along. Lian babbled in Jade's arms. Wally, Dick, and Roy had gone into the yard to talk and catch up, so naturally Bart and Tim joined together.

"Wanna go spy on them in the yard to see what they're talking about?" Tim asked him.

"You bet! Hop on!" Bart motioned for his friend to jump onto him, piggy-back style. Although he and Emily were good friends, he didn't have really any other friends at school, so it was nice to be with people from the team. They all understood him, didn't judge him, and were his family. Tim, Jaime, Cassie, Garfield, Conner, and he had all become especially close. And he had a special cousin's bond with Wally, of course. And Dick. And Artemis. Okay, he just loved everyone.

Tim hopped onto Bart's back and Bart took off at a speed of 300mph. Not too shabby. He ran them right into the yard and crashed them into a bush.

"Bart!" Tim groaned. "We were supposed to spy on them discreetly!"

"Oops," Bart shrugged, helping Tim out of the bush.

"What do you twerps want?" Wally asked teasingly as he ruffled Bart's hair.

"Just wanted to see what you guys were up to. And I wanted to get a good look at Dick without his mask on," Bart said jokingly.

"What have you guys been talking about?" Tim asked curiously. Before Dick could say, 'Nothing that concerns you,' Roy answered for him.

"Oh you know, the usual. Girls, sex, who's gay, who's a virgin, who's harboring a fugitive, R rated movies, the works," Roy grinned.

"Believe it or not ladies and gentlemen, this man is a father," Dick laughed. Bart blushed but Tim just rolled his eyes. "How's high school going for you guys this year?" Dick asked, changing the subject.

"Ugh, Grayson. Don't change the topic to school! It's Saturday, no one wants to talk about that shit," Roy interjected.

"It's good," Tim said, ignoring Roy. "I'm in advanced classes this year and I have some really great teachers."

"That's good," Wally said. "Are you a star mathelete like your brother over here?" He asked motioning to Dick. Tim laughed.

"Hell no. I'm not a mathelete nerd," Tim stuck his tongue out at his older brother.

"No, of course not, you're just captain of the theoretical physics club," Dick rolled his eyes. Tim giggled. "What about you Bart? How's high school treating you?" Dick turned to him.

"It's really schway! I mean, I don't get along with all my teachers, but the principal is really crash and so is the lunch lady," Bart offered. Roy snickered.

"So you've already met the principal? Really?" Roy asked.

"Hey, I didn't do anything! This one teacher, Mr. James, is just really on-mode," Bart defended. Wally ruffled his hair affectionately again. Wally hadn't gotten along with all of his teachers in high school either.

"Are you planning on doing any extra-curricular activities, guys? Besides the 'theoretical physics team?'" Wally asked them smirking.

"I signed up for chess club and I plan on tackling the school science fair this year," Tim said proudly.

"Another bat-prodigy in the making," Dick said, smiling. "Bart?"

"Oh, um, I was looking at the swim team. I'm going to go to a meet, just to see if I'm interested. I mean, swimming is crash, right? Like running, only with a different medium. I'm also going to join the young artist's club next week. And then I'm definitely auditioning for the spring musical. We're putting on a production of Wicked! It's going to be really shiny. Plus, my 'bestie,' (ha, I learned that word at school!) Emily is going to be in the crew, so it'll be spled!" Bart said. They were all used to Bart's futuristic slang, so they didn't have any questions.

"So you're going to be a drama nerd. Be careful, people might start to think you're gay," Roy joked.

"What?" Bart said confused. Yeah, he knew what being gay meant, but he was just surprised by what Roy had said to him. Fortunately, Dick hit Roy on the back of the head.

"Hey! Ouch!"

"You've told me a lot about this, Emily, girl. Maybe you should ask her to the homecoming dance," Tim said smirking. Bart blushed.

"Wha? Nah, Emily and I aren't like that. We're just good friends," Bart said.

"Sure you are," Wally said smirking at his younger cousin.

"Really! We are! I don't like her, like that," Bart said.

"Come on, leave the poor boy alone," Dick said to the rest of the smirks. "Babs and I are just friends, and we have been for years!"

"I wouldn't call you and Babs 'just friends.' It's not like you made out in a closet on your 14th birthday or anything," Wally said. He received an elbow in the ribs.

"Emily and I really are _just friends_ guys," Bart could not emphasize that enough. He didn't really care, but he still didn't want anyone to get any ideas.

"Well then, who are you going to be 'more than friends' with then? I know Tim likes Cassie, so what girl do you have your eye on?" Dick said, more to tease Tim than to actually ask Bart.

"Cassie and I are just friends, too!" Tim said, blushing furiously.

Honestly, Bart hadn't really thought about who he liked. Well, to fair, that wasn't true. Every teenager thinks about his/her romantic prospects, but Bart couldn't come up with a girl he liked in that way. There was Emily, but Bart couldn't bring himself to think of her in any way other than a sister or a cousin. And there were a few nice girls at school. There was this one girl named Pria who he had slowly been getting to know.

Pria sometimes sat with Bart and Emily at lunch, because she and Emily used to be good friends in elementary school. She was going to audition for Wicked too. Pria was loud, funny, and she totally understood Bart. He was really excited to spend time with her. And she was really pretty, too. Her family was from India and she had a great smile. Bart could see himself holding her hand, or even cuddling with her. But he couldn't see himself kiss her. It just didn't seem, right.

"I don't really like anyone at the moment," Bart heard himself say.

"Oh, we all know that's bullshit, dude. You can be upfront with us. We used to say the same bullshit to parents to get them off our back about dating," Roy said. Bart laughed.

"Seriously Roy. When I find someone I like, I'll run over to your place and let you know first," Bart said with a cheesy grin.

"Don't go to Roy. Come to me. Roy didn't pass health class. That's why he had a baby before he turned 22," Wally teased.

"Boys, time to come in for dinner!" Artemis poked her head outside. "What are you guys doing out here?" She asked while she stepped out and pecked Wally on the lips.

"Nothing!" They all said at once, except Wally, who wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her back.

Dinner was fantastic. Feeding four speedsters and a cluster of others was quite a feat, and yet somehow, Artemis, Joan, and Iris managed to pull it off so that there were even leftovers. _Leftovers!_

The conversations were casual. Funny stories, war stories, and work stories were shared. Stories seemed to be the key to this dinner.

"Hey, you and Timothy are in high school now," Jay said to Bart and Tim, who were sitting next to each other at the end of the table. They nodded. "Back in my day, all the fit, young gents like yourself would play football this season. Does it catch either of your fancy?" Jay asked. The whole table laughed together.

"Um, I'm not into football. I'm one of the nerds," Tim answered politely and humbly. If he wanted to, Tim could play football and dominate the field. He had learned early on that brains will always win over brawn, even in sports like football. Jay chuckled.

"That's alright son, I'm not judging. Just curious. What about you, Bart? You play any sports?" Bart tugged on his shirt collar.

"Um, I was going to check out the swim team and maybe join next season. But I'm definitely joining the school art club. And I'm going to try out for the spring musical! We're putting on Wicked," Bart said excitedly.

"That's interesting. I don't think we've ever had anyone interested in the arts in the family. And I use the term 'family' in the liberal sense," Iris said winking. Barry kissed her on the cheek.

"I once had a small part in a school play. It was really fun," Dick leaned forward and told Bart. Bart nodded.

"I think Garfield is interested in acting, too," Tim said. "He told me he wants to become a TV star like his mom." Bart nodded again. He remembered Gar saying something like that.

"I think I'd rather stick to live theater. And musicals. Musicals are crash! Have you guys seen any Disney movies?" Bart asked excitedly. The whole room laughed and nodded.

"'Alice in Wonderland' is a favorite of mine. Same with Jade," Artemis said, looking lovingly at her sister.

"Roy used to be obsessed with 'Finding Nemo,'" Wally said.

"That is not true!" He protested.

"Oh please. Constantly. 'Where did the mother in Nemo go? Why didn't she come back? Why is one of Nemo's fins smaller than the other?' The kid totally did not get it," Dick jeered. Roy crossed his arms and pouted.

"You have to show kids what actually happened! You can't just imply it! You have to explain it, otherwise they'll never get it!" Roy defended.

"Correction: _Some_ kids will never get it," Jade said to her cross husband. A kiss on his cheek caused him to smile a bit. So did Lian babbling from her high chair.

"Personally, I've always been a fan of 'Toy Story'," Barry said smiling.

"'Peter Pan' is the ultimate best," Tim said.

"No way! You have to love the 'Sword and The Stone!'" Wally argued.

"What about 'The Aristocats?' That movie was brilliant and fun at the same time!" Dick said.

"Dude, wasn't that movie like super racist?" Wally asked.

"Okay, maybe a bit, but it goes right over your head usually," Dick explained.

"So Bart, you've been watching Disney like crazy these past couple of weeks since you never got to see the movies in the future. Which ones are your favorite?" Iris asked. The entire table gave him their attention.

"Hmmm, well, 'Aladdin' is shiny. So is 'The Little Mermaid,'" Bart started.

"Dude, those are all the chick ones," Wally interrupted. Artemis hit his chest to get him to shut up. All eyes were still on Bart.

"The problem with 'Sleeping Beauty,' though, is that the girl has, like, no personality. Same with 'Snow White.' So those weren't really my favorites. The live action ones like 'Mary Poppins' are fantastic. One of the best films ever," Bart rambled.

"Which one is your favorite, Bart?" Barry asked.

"I think…I like…," Bart held his breathe. What should he say? Even Bruce Wayne was staring intently at him. It was as if your favorite Disney movie defined you as a person somehow.

"My favorite movie is 'The Incredibles,' of course! Dash is crash!" He blurted out. The entire table burst into laughter. They all were in stitches. Bart laughed along with them, but he didn't know why he had told them a spin. It was Wally's comment. "Dude, those are _chick_ movies." It bothered Bart, and he didn't know why. His favorite was 'Beauty and the Beast.' Just the thought of the title made him smile. Yet, somehow, he figured it was probably another _chick_ movie.

"I'm surprised you didn't try out for the track team, like a certain someone did when he was in high-school," Artemis said, looking to her boyfriend.

"Nah. Too easy for me," Bart held his hand up.

"I hope you're not so busy that you fall behind in your training," Bruce said out of nowhere. Bart gulped.

"Of course not, Mr. Batman-sir!" Bart grinned. "I'm going to train at the HQ tomorrow afternoon. Don't you worry!" The entire table except Bruce giggled.

The rest of dinner was relatively uneventful. Barry, Bart, and Wally all helped make a speedy clean-up of the food, and the guests slowly departed one by one. Dick made a very small spectacle of _not_ going home with Bruce and Tim, but besides that, there was no drama.

"We should do this more often, Pop!" Bart said as he wrapped his arms around his grandpa. Barry just rested a hand on Bart's head and one on his upper back. Bart was short, but he could pull anyone into a huge bear hug. After giving an infamous said bear hug to Iris, Bart sped away upstairs.

In a blur he changed into soft pajamas and plopped into bed, hitting the lights. And two hours later, he remained still wide awake and in the same position.

* * *

 **So in this chapter we get so some gender roles and their effects on youth. In this version of the story, I made it so that Wally never died, and the team is all relatively happy and together at the moment. I wanted to start the story off with little to no drama so that I could have a blank playing field to manipulate. Mwahaha.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed it, and if you leave a review I will be happy as a clam! Thanks! Stay asterous!**


	3. Strange Estrangement

He was caught up in thinking about sexuality back in the future and how different it was here. Back home, Bart never had time to even think about attraction. Hardly anyone did. But people who liked people of the same gender where called "sly," meaning gay. It could be used synonymously with the word "queer."

And those people weren't greatly tolerated back home. But then again, people had so many of their own problems, there wasn't much time to care. Bart had read somewhere that "slys" in the past weren't overall accepted either.

Bart had always figured being gay was sort of like the color of your skin; it wasn't something that you could control. There was plenty of science about it in the future, and even nowadays Bart was pretty sure studies showed it was biological. So he didn't understand why discrimination was tolerated. Even still, it wasn't like Bart had any friends that were sly, or that he ever thought it a possibility for himself.

Until Roy had said so. "So you're going to be a drama nerd. Be careful, people might start to think you're gay."

It was strange. Almost as if a ton of random pieces all of a sudden magically glued themselves together into a completed jigsaw puzzle. And the puzzle told him that he could, in fact, be gay. Grife.

Bart tried looking at the facts. If he were gay, he would've noticed by now, right? Were there any girls he was particularly attracted to? Sexually? He blushed at the thought, and groaned at the answer. No, not really.

What about guys? He wasn't attracted to men either, right? So maybe he was asexual. That had to be better than being sly. But Bart saw Jaime in his mind at that moment and blushed furiously. He also thought about his abs and flat, well-toned chest. He felt butterflies in his chest. It wasn't just Jaime, it was also Patrick Dempsey and David Hasslehoff. Sometimes a shirtless Superboy. Colton Haynes, mmmm... Zark, this was so not crash!

Bart churned in his bed. Okay, so he thought some guys were hot. But that didn't mean anything, sexually, did it? Bart swallowed and his Adams apple bobbed nervously. Kissing a guy didn't seem wrong. Bart imagined himself kissing Jaime, and if felt…right. Frak.

The next morning at breakfast, Iris brushed his hair up and kissed Bart's forehead.

"Are you okay, Bart, sweetie? You don't look so great," she told him. He rubbed at his red eyes.

"Yeah, I didn't get much sleep last night," Bart explained while he scarfed down 4 boxes of cereal and kissed his grandmother on the cheek.

"I better get going to training. Don't want to make the Bat angry!" And with that, Bart zipped into his Impulse suit and ran to D.C.

* * *

"Hermano, wake up!" Jaime snapped his fingers in front of his best friend. "Tio, what's wrong?"

"Huh! Oh nothing, 'her-ma-noh!' I'm schway, what about you?" Bart asked, butchering the Spanish language.

"You've been daydreaming all throughout practice. What's on your mind?" Jamie pressed concerned.

"N-nothing! I'm just tired. Didn't get mucho sleep-o last night, is all, ése," Bart held his hands up. Jaime rolled his eyes and laughed.

"You have a photographic memory, and yet you can't speak Spanish to save your life," Jaime said.

"Not true! Yo pooh-ey-doh hab-lar Span- I mean, es-pan-yol!"

"I'll just speak 'American' in front of you from now on," Jaime joked.

"Aw. But I like your sexy Spanish accent," Bart said wiggling his eyebrows. He and Jaime laughed, but then Bart turned crimson when he realized what he had said.

"I, uh, meant that as a joke," Bart said truthfully. Jaime quirked an eyebrow.

"I know, ése." Bart sighed in relief.

"Come on, let's spar!"

Jaime was Bart's best friend. Probably the closest one he would ever have (though Emily was pretty schway, too). That's why, Jaime could pin him on the floor and kiss him this second, and he'd probably enjoy it, but he wouldn't let it continue, because he would never let anything get in the way of their friendship. More than anything else, he needed Jaime to be his friend, and not his love interest. That's also why Bart felt he couldn't turn to Jaime to help about these new feelings either, because he needed Jaime's support and he couldn't handle it if Jaime didn't give it to him.

And as much as he loved Emily, he also couldn't tell her. She didn't even know about his double life as a superhero, so why would he tell her about…

"That's it!" Bart stood and said aloud in the locker room. He had had quite a workout with Jaime and Garfield and and he had just showered. He wore a pair of fresh pants with a towel around his bare shoulders when he jumped from the locker bench with his revelation.

Garfield, Jaime, and Dick (who also happened to be in the locker room) all dropped what they were doing to stare at him.

"I got a good idea. Go back to your life," he told them. Dick chuckled, Gar shrugged it off, but Jaime glanced at him with solicitude. Bart was acting strange. Even for Bart.

Maybe telling Emily would be perfect! She didn't know anything about his other life! That meant that everyone wouldn't find out all of a sudden. To be honest, the Justice Leaguers were terrible gossips. If Bart came out to anyone on the team, the news would be spread like wildfire, and Bart knew he wasn't ready for that. He also knew that Batman was the worst of them all, and God, that man needed to learn about boundaries.

But Emily didn't know about any of them! She hadn't even met his family! Bart pouted. He really liked Emily, but the thought of actually admitting to maybe being gay made his stomach churn. That was a new feeling for Bart. He usually was full of confidence. Why did he feel so uncomfortable with the idea of telling people about this part of him?

His friends and family would support him, surely? And… Bart sighed. _I just don't want them to think of me differently,_ he thought. He made a quick look around the locker room and decided there had to be a better place to think about this stuff.

Bart ran out of the HQ in his civvies, but he was so fast that no one would be able to see him anyway. _Come on, Bart. You've fought off an alien invasion. You've saved the world on more than one occasion. Okay, mainly one, but still! Being gay is not nearly as bad as a Reach invasion!_ He kept telling himself this as he ran, but he also kept doubting himself.

What if Roy and Wally thought he wasn't "manly" anymore? What if Tim and Jaime didn't want to be as close to him anymore or felt uncomfortable? Zark, Iris and Barry were from the Midwest! What if everyone just disowned him on the spot? There was that stupid "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the American militia during this era. What if…what if the Justice League held the same policy?

Bart ran faster. It made him feel free and distant from his problems. Like he could outrun them.

He had read an online article about how people who were openly gay couldn't be Boy Scout leaders. He never had any intention or interest in becoming a Boy Scout leader, but he'd like to think that if he did, he would be able to.

And he lived in Central City, Ohio, where same-sex marriage was illegal and homophobic discrimination wasn't considered in hate crimes. Bart ran and he ran and he ran. Until finally he ran to the Grand Canyon in Colorado.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" He screamed into the sweeping chasms that echoed soundlessly to the starry night sky. It was a good place to scream. He felt better.

"Alright, Bart. Let's figure this out," he said to himself. He was alone and in swathed in quiet, and talking to himself helped. "Maybe, I'm not gay," he mumbled to the canyon. "This is just a phase. Every guy goes through a phase where he thinks he might be gay. I heard that on a TV show, I think…," Bart trailed off. For once, his words were quiet. When there was no one else around, he spoke pretty softly.

"But…I think I am gay," Bart whispered, as if arguing with himself. He had to be; it made sense. When he saw his future, he wanted a husband with whom he was in a wonderful, caring marriage, and he wanted kids, one boy and a girl, and an orange tabby cat, and a little house with a trampoline in the yard. He could see himself with a wife also, but he couldn't see himself being happy with one. He liked girls, but he didn't get the same pitter-patter in his heart when he thought about them.

What was with the orange tabby cat, anyway? He didn't even like cats that much, but he knew that he wanted one. He sighed and slinked to the ground. "Maybe I am gay," he acknowledged. "But no one has to know." _Yeah, right, Bart. As if you can keep your big mouth shut._ Bart truly loathed keeping secrets.

Secrets were so interesting, and that's what made them hard to keep.

* * *

 **Anyway, hope you're liking the story (if anyone is reading it haha). If you leave a review, you'll make my day! I've already had my day made (one person left a review, yay!) But don't let that stop you, heehee. Love you guys, you rock!**


	4. Nothing Here is Right

The next couple of weeks went by like a hazy dream. Iris, Barry, and the team were worried by Bart's unusually lax behavior, but he wasn't aware.

Everything was going smoothly in Bart's book, until he started Gym class.

"I don't want any pansies in my locker room! I don't care if you're 'fragile,' you strip down in front of each other without any hassle or embarrassment and get your ass on the track and run laps as soon as you get here! Is that clear?" Coach Tucker screamed at the boys.

"Yes sir," they all replied harmoniously.

"Don't steal. Don't roughhouse. Don't smuggle girls and here, and DO NOT suck each other's dicks. I don't want any faggot-ass twinks in my gym!" The angry man barked. Bart was taken aback by this. Wasn't anyone going to say anything to him? He had no plan of being sexually active in the locker room (I mean ewww), but that didn't mean that the coach could just throw around a derogatory comment, right?

Bart looked for another boy to speak up, but all of them just laughed.

"Alright, hit the track," Coach Tucker ordered and the boys filed out. Bart hung back. Even if he himself wasn't gay, Bart wouldn't have let it slide. Maybe he had too much of a hero complex, but being rude and offensive seemed like the sort of thing he ought to stand up to.

"Hey, um coach," Bart approached the coach nervously.

"Spit it out, Allen," Coach Tucker barked. He was a wrinkly, oily, stocky man that was always red in the face, even when he was completely calm.

"We don't, um, know each other that well, but I'm sure you're a really crash person. And I'm sure your class is totally schway! But, uh, what you said back there, you know, when you used the politically incorrect word for-," Bart rambled.

"Fags?" Coach Tucker bluntly provided.

"Um, yeah, about that. It's a bit, um, _offensive_ ," Bart started. Grife, why was this guy so intimidating? Bart really wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. He probably was just good-intentioned but ill-informed. "Well, I _thought_ that it seemed offensive, sir. Everything's spled, but maybe next time you could be more, er, sensitive? Thanks." Bart smiled as enthusiastically and friendly as he could.

The coach glowered at him like Bart had sprouted a second head.

"Ooooh, did I hurt your feelings? Stop being a pussy, Allen. If I catch you leering at any of my boys, I'll kick your ass so hard that you'll be even more butt-sore," the man threatened. Bart felt a lump well up in his throat.

"I-I'm not….I don't…," Bart was at a loss of words.

"Yeah, yeah, just get out onto the field," Coach Tucker ordered. Bart didn't look back as he sped out of the room and outside.

Bart spend the next few minutes of class cooling off and before it was over, he was ready to put the whole ordeal behind him. He told himself that the coach probably just had a bad day. Everyone had bad days right? When he was getting changed in the locker room after class, two boys pointed and laughed at him.

Bart wasn't sure why though, so he shrugged it off and made his way to Geometry, which was way too easy for him. He was ready to doze off while the teacher lectured the class about the importance of transversals. Lame!

Mr. Crawford saw Bart slacking off, so he called him up to the front of the class to solve a problem.

Bart walked up and solved the problem with ease. When he turned around, however, the entire class erupted with laughter. Bart faced the class with confusion.

Emily, who was also in the same class, jumped from her seat and raced up to the front of the room. Bart frowned. Emily hated being the center of attention, what was she thinking?

She ran right up to him and whispered in his ear, "Bart, you have something taped to your back." Bart stretched his arms across his back and felt a thin stick. He yanked the tape off of his shirt and when he brought the item in front of his face, he nearly fainted.

"DYNAMITE! Everybody get down!" Bart threw the stick into the hall and tackled Emily to the ground. The class roared in hysterics and even Mr. Crawford was in stitches. Emily was the only one who wasn't even giggling a tiny bit.

"Dumbass!" Someone from one of the middle rows hooted. Bart searched Emily's face for answers.

"Bart, what are you doing?" She hissed.

"What's going on?" He asked, not bothering to whisper back. All eyes were glued to him. Emily cupped her hand around his ear.

"Bart, it wasn't dynamite. It was a tampon. Haven't you ever seen one?" She whispered. Bart's entire complexion turned scarlet. Of course he'd heard of about them and had read about them, but he'd never actually _seen_ one. He had on the other hand _seen_ dynamite, and the two objects looked pretty much the same in his book. This was so not crash.

Bart faced the class and tried to weigh his options.

"Haha, guess it wasn't dynamite," Bart shrugged nervously to the class while he laughed along. And with his friends on the team or with Emily, he would have truly found the situation hilarious. But for some reason, under the scrutiny of his classmates, he didn't really feel like he was laughing _with_ them.

"Go ahead and sit down, Bart," Mr. Crawford told him, wiping his eyes. Bart and Emily went back to their respective seats and Bart stayed quiet until the end of class, which was the last one of the day.

Once dismissed, everyone filed out except for Bart and Emily. He hung around her desk while she packed up her notes and books into her backpack.

* * *

 **Thank you guys so much! I've been getting so many kind words from you! They really make me feel better, and I'd had writer's block last week, but after reading your comments, I started getting ideas and writing again. Thank you so much! Love you all!**


	5. Making Shows of Trading Blows

Once dismissed, everyone filed out except for Bart and Emily. He hung around her desk while she packed up her notes and books into her backpack.

"You wanna walk home today?" Bart asked her. She nodded and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"Let's go."

* * *

"It's getting worse, Bart," Emily told him as they walked on the sidewalk under the shade of trees. Bart stopped to tie his shoe. Emily waited. "The bullying, I mean. I think you should tell someone."

"Tell who, Em? Coach Tucker? Mr. James?" Bart retorted.

"What about Mr. Hawkins, the principal? You said he was an okay guy. Or at least, I think that's what you said." Emily still wasn't sure how to interpret Bart's lingo. Bart didn't answer, he just stared silently at his newly tied shoe. Emily sunk down onto the path to level with him. "What's wrong, Bart?"

"If I let people know about it, they'll think I'm weak," he said. Emily scoffed and stood back up.

"If you _don't_ do anything about it, maybe," she snorted. He gazed up at her. She reached a hand out to help him up, and he took it. They continued walking.

"It really isn't that bad, Em. And I'm fine admitting to being weak," Bart concluded. "That's not the problem." Bart himself didn't know why he felt this way.

"Then what is the problem? Let's take these d-bags down, Bart!" Emily exclaimed.

Bart was a bit taken aback by her passion. Since when had she become so outspoken? She blushed and looked off to the side.

"Let's talk about something else," she said softly.

"Auditions for the spring musical are tomorrow!" Bart said excitedly. Emily bit her lip and smiled a little.

"Yeah."

"I still don't understand why you won't try out. You'd make a spled Elphaba!" Bart said as Emily kicked a rock with her converse.

"Just the thought of being on stage…with all those people…," Emily grew pale.

"Hey, Em, no pressure right? You'd also be a crash stage manager!" Bart tried to cheer her up. Pinkness dotted her cheeks and she looked at Bart's green eyes appreciatively.

"This is my street. I'll see you tomorrow, Bart," Emily told him as she got ready to turn at the fork down the block. She hugged him before waving as she ran up the porch stairs to a blue house with noise radiating out of the walls. As it turned out, Emily had 4 younger and older brothers and was the only girl in the house besides her mom.

Bart had gone over there a few times, and although the house was chaotic and a bit rambunctious, each and every one of her family members was warm and welcoming. Emily's mom let Bart know that he was always welcome to come over anytime and her brothers all loved playing video games with him. No wonder Emily was such a nice person.

When Bart arrived home that evening, Wally and Artemis were already there, apparently having been invited to dinner by Iris.

"Hey Bart," Wally greeted as he was embraced in Bart's signature bear hug. "For the fastest kid alive, you were pretty slow coming home from school today. Artie and I beat you here by a half hour," Wally teased.

"Oh, yeah, I decided to walk home with Emily. It's crash to be out in the fresh air sometimes with friends, and not crammed in a totally modded school bus," Bart explained after he finished hugging Artemis. At home, with his family around, Bart's super speed now turned "on" as he raced around hugging everyone and eating snacks.

"This Emily sounds really nice. Maybe you should invite her over for dinner one night," Barry suggested. Bart froze.

"Yeah, maybe, but we'd have to keep our identities a secret right, pop?" It wasn't that Bart didn't want to have Emily over, but there was just something about introducing her closer to his superhero life that made him uneasy. He enjoyed keeping his two lives separate, and he didn't want to have to lie to her.

"I think we can all 'slow down' for one night of normalcy," Iris joked as she kissed her husband on the forehead and then resumed making dinner.

"Sure. That'd be crash. She could meet you guys too," Bart motioned to Wally and Artemis. As long as it was a small family gathering, it would be fine, right?

Artemis smiled and nodded and leaned in to whisper something into Wally's ear inconspicuously. He kissed her and turned to Bart.

"Hey, wanna go upstairs to your room and do something? Video games maybe?" Wally offered. Bart's smile doubled as he raced away.

"Last one there's a rotten egg," he called from up the stairs.

* * *

 **Sorry for taking a while to update guys. I've sort of been going through a writer's crisis. I haven't written too much this past week, and I've been thinking about pursuing a career in something else, which is really freaking me out because 1) I've planned on being a writer for the past 4 years, 2) I try to write a little every day, and now that I haven't been writing as much, I feel incomplete. I think the problem is psychological. I hope it's just a temporary dry spell. Anyway, if I don't post soon, pm me and bug me to update, because I already have most of the story written out and I want to post it. Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews. I'll post a longer chapter next time! Love you guys!**


	6. And Hoping No One Knows

Once in Bart's room, the two speedsters relaxed around each other. Wally was almost like an older brother to Bart now, and Artemis like a big sister, or cousin, or some familial tie.

"So, Bart, how have you been? Honestly," Wally said a bit more seriously as he plopped on the bed. Bart jumped onto the covers on his stomach.

"Schway," he muffled through the blankets.

"Yeah? That's good. You know, we've all been just a bit worried about you. You've been acting,…a little off," Wally tried to say as gently as he could. Bart felt a lump in his throat, but he had learned by now how to force a smile and pretend like everything was fine.

"I think you're reading into things too much," Bart laughed and snuggled into his pillow. Wally returned the smile, but still looked concerned.

"You know you can talk to me or Uncle Barry about anything right?" Wally asked lovingly.

 _Why does everyone say that?_ Bart thought. It was a common thing to say when you worried about another person. "You can talk to us about anything." The thought was nice, but it wasn't really true. If one day Bart decided to just tell Wally his face was ugly, would that be okay with him? Or even if he decided to tell Wally he was gay, would everything just be 'alright?' But he didn't say any of that. Instead, Bart said, "I know," and forced another smile.

"So her name's Emily, huh?" Wally grinned changing the subject.

"Yeah, she's crash," Bart said, remembering walking home with her earlier.

"Y'know, it took me forever to finally work up the courage and kiss Artemis. I wish we hadn't wasted all that time pretending to hate each other and flirting," Wally laughed reminiscent.

"But you're together now. And happy. And you have Nelson. So that's all the matters right?" Bart asked.

"Of course! I'm just saying that sometimes you just have to go for it and admit you're feelings. Life's too short. The homecoming dance is this month right? Maybe you should take her, buy her a corsage, dance the night away. You won't regret it," Wally assured his cousin. Before Bart could answer, Wally reached into his wallet and pulled out a few colorful wrappers.

"And I'm not saying you should have sex. In fact, I think you'd be really smart if you wait, but if something happens and you can't, be sure to use these," Wally concluded handing Bart two or three condoms. Wally looked slightly uncomfortable, but not nearly as red as Bart was.

"I, um, erm…," Bart spluttered.

"We all know that you and Emily are starting to get serious, so Uncle Barry wanted me to give them to you," Wally tried to offer consolation. He was obviously flustered.

"Wally, I don't need these," Bart said shoving the condoms back into his cousin's hand.

"Hopefully you won't, but he just wants you being safe, Bart," Wally explained.

"No, Wals, you don't understand. Emily's a great girl, but she and I…we aren't…I don't like her like that," Bart flushed. Wally chuckled.

"That's what I would've said about Artemis before we kissed on New Year's."

"No! Emily and I aren't like you and Artemis. We're just friends! And I don't want your gorram condoms!" Bart snapped, jumping up and shoving the wrappers at Wally. Wally furrowed his eyebrows and Bart paled. "Grife, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…, oh zark," Bart muttered.

"It's fine. It's just, this is what I meant when I said we're all worried about you. You seem like you're stressed, man. Artemis says it's just puberty, but I don't know, maybe,-" Wally rambled.

"I'm just not ready to have sex Wally. The condoms freaked me out. Let's forget the whole thing, m'kay?" Bart grinned weakly.

"Sure," Wally replied shoving the wrappers into his back pocket. "Forget I ever brought it up."

The rest of dinner at the Allen family was normal. Emily wasn't brought up again that night.

* * *

 **So yeah. Awkward family conversations. Those are always fun. Thanks for reading! Reviews make my day! Love y'all!**


	7. Walking Through The Part

"Bart, are you ready?" Pria asked giddily. She had smooth, cocoa skin, and a musical voice embellished with a Hindi accent. Her black hair tied behind her in a long braid swayed as she grabbed Bart's hands and jumped up and down excitedly. "You're palms are all sweaty," Pria laughed as she dropped his hands and wiped her own on her jeans.

"I'm nervous. And excited. This is going to be so crash," Bart beamed as they stood outside the auditorium doors. Emily was already backstage, pawing through props needed for the scenes.

"Let's go!"

Pria and Bart sat next to each other in the vast, dark, theatre. There were maybe 60 kids in there with them, only maybe 10 of them boys. And the director of course.

Groups of kids gathered on stage for their auditions, cold-reading the script. Some of the kids were really nervous and quiet, and Bart couldn't help but feel bad for them. They might have been really talented if they hadn't had such bad stage fright.

Other kids were great actors, but had trouble with the singing, especially the girls who attempted "Defying Gravity." It was not an easy song.

The next couple groups had some really great performers, which of course, only added to Bart's anxiety. How was he supposed to compete with these young, born-to-be starlets? Pria went next and she really blew it out of the water; there was no doubt she'd get a part.

She had decided to sing "Popular" instead of committing suicide with the high F sharp in Defying Gravity, and she sang it like an angel with the charisma of Charisma Carpenter.

There were some who decided to sing songs from other musicals, like footloose and Disney songs, and they too did remarkably better, but the director wasn't as infatuated with them.

Katie Newman seemed to be in the lead for the lead at the moment. She had performed Defying Gravity and hit every note. The director ate her up. And then there was her boyfriend Danny, who also tried out. He was very classically hansom and had decent pitch too.

"Bartholomew Allen," the director called into the dark sea that was the theater house.

Bart inhaled deeply and walked onto the stage clutching his script. Once he got on there, it wasn't so bad. The lights were really bright so he couldn't really see anyone except the others who were on stage. None of the other guys had stood out as amazing singers except Danny, so this would be Bart's chance. He'd practiced with Emily and Pria thousands of times.

Bart delivered his lines perfectly. He didn't know how he did it, he just could remember the words spilling out of him. Every line he heard triggered the memory of the dialog he was meant to say. He didn't have to think about it, so he could focus on projecting and acting. Now all he had to do was ace the singing part.

"What will you be singing for us today, Mr. Allen?"

' _You've Got a Friend in Me,'_ Bart's head screamed. It was an easy song, he could reach all the notes, and it was the one he'd practiced.

"I-I'd like to sing 'Dancing Through Life' please," Bart blurted. If he concentrated his vision, he could see Pria and Emily, who had gone back into the house to see Bart's performance, with their jaws dropped looking like they'd seen a ghost.

"Interesting choice. Miss Newman, would you be up to singing the duet part with Mr. Allen?"

Katie looked bored and ready to watch Bart fail miserably.

"Yes, Mrs. McDougal. I'd love to," Katie replied overly sweetly as she joined Bart on stage and the music started.

 _Oh frak, oh frak, oh frak, oh frak, oh frak!_ Bart's mind screeched as the intro began. Emily held her phone up while covering her eyes to record the event. Bart had promised Iris and Barry that he'd get his audition on tape. What a stupid error.

"The trouble with schools is, they always try to teach the wrong lessons," Bart threw his arms forward. He didn't have to really hold out any long notes yet, so he had some time to get his footing. "Believe me, I've been kicked out of enough of them to kno- _ow_ ," he sang. He fumbled that last note because he was trying too hard. Katie smirked.

"They want you to become less callow, less shallow," Bart reined in his confidence again, but he could tell he didn't have the director's attention. "But I say: why invite stress in?" Not quite there. "Stop studying strife," Not quite there. "And learn to live 'the unexamined liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiife.'" And there, he had it. His vocal chords relaxed and he flowed with the song.

"Dancing through life, skimming the surface, gliding where turf is smoo-ooth," Bart smiled through his words and swayed to the music. "Life's more painless, for the brainless. Why think too hard? When it's so soothing, dancing through life, no need to tough it, when you can sluff it off as I doooo." Bart felt his diaphragm forcing the notes out of his mouth and to the very back of the auditorium. Katie wasn't smirking anymore.

"Nothing matters, but knowing nothing matters, it's just life, so keep dancing throoooooough…." Bart treaded across the stage.

"Woes are fleeting, blows are glancing, when you're danciiiing, through liiiiiiiiiiiiiiife…...So, what's the most swankified place in town?" Bart shot his attention to Katie. She looked like a deer in the headlights.

"T-that would be the Ozdust Ballroom," she replied recovering from her initial shock and putting on her best "Glinda" voice.

"Sounds perfect!" Bart exclaimed as he through his arms up. Bart looked very Danny Zucco-esk as he marched lower on his knees towards Katie singing his line. "Let's go down to the Ozdust Ballroom. We'll meet there later tonight! We can dance till it lights….," Bart looked out into the house before taking Katie's hand and twirling her. "Find the prettiest girl… give her a whii-iiii-irl. Right. On. Down. The Ozdust Ballroom. Come on follow meee…you'll be happy to be theeere…"

After they finished the next verse, the director stopped them and said she had seen enough. Parts would be announced tomorrow morning on the drama center wall.

Bart dropped Katie's hand and shuffled away towards Emily and Pria as they left the theatre. Emily was quick to throw her arms around him.

"Did I blow my chances entirely?" Bart asked uncomfortably. Pria and Emily gaped.

"Bart, you were amazing!" Pria gushed.

"I can't believe you did it! I have it all on tape!" Emily exclaimed.

"Aww thanks guys," Bart hugged his two friends. "But I don't think Mrs. McDougal enjoyed it nearly as much as you guys did."

"Well then she's crazy, because you were amazing. Come on, let's get ice cream to celebrate!" Pria suggested.

"Yeah, I could go for an ice cream, or maybe 10," Bart laughed. Emily was used to Bart's eating habits by now, but Pria still found it amusing.

"How can you fit so much food into such a tiny body? Seriously, they say your stomach is as big as your fist, and I've seen you eat things bigger than your head!"

"Fast metabolism," Bart shrugged.

* * *

 **So...it's been, what? Many...many months? Erm...I don't have a lot of excuses. I mean, sure lots of shit has happened but it's come, it's gone, I've just been bad at following up with updates. I'm sorry. I'm right in the middle of a big move, and I just broke up with my boyfriend, so I can't promise when the next update will be. But I'm not giving up on this story, so go ahead and follow it.**

 **Also, review. Reviews make me deliriously happy and they encourage me to post more frequently. I cannot express to you how much I appreciate them. And if you're wondering, the 'house' is the seating area of an auditorium, and you should go see Wicked or listen to 'Dancing Through Life.' :3**

 **Love you all! Keep crashing the mode! Also, when I started this fic gay marriage wasn't legal in all 50 states, or the state Bart lives in. That was going to be a point of contention in the story. But haha, now it's legal in all 50 states, which is awesome. We did it! I might have to work in a bit about the supreme court ruling in the story. Bart would be super happy to know that when he grows up and finds the one, he doesn't have to worry about marriage legality. So congrats all!**


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